One Thousand Gifts

"Joy is what makes life worth living, but for many joy seems hard to find. They complain that their lives are sorrowful and depressing. What then brings the joy we so much desire? Are some people just lucky, while others have run out of luck? Strange as it may sound, we can choose joy. Two people can be part of the same event, but one may choose to live it quite differently than the other. One may choose to trust that what happened, painful as it may be, holds a promise. The other may choose despair and be destroyed by it.

What makes us human is precisely this freedom of choice." ~~ Henri Nouwen

Today I am joining in with Ann over at A Holy Experience and hundreds of others who are on their own 1000 Gift Lists journey. Care to join me? These are in no particular order...

161. Baby getting teeth... 162. news... 163. changing diapers x2... 164. legs to run with... 165. the roof over our head...always... 166. being able to feed my kids meals... 167. husband who does menu planning... 168. husband who lets me take an afternoon snooze and cooks a yummy dinner, too... 169. convenience of a washer and dryer... 170. hands to fold clothes...

My First Post about Running

I wanted to write up a quick post about running, because as I mentioned in a previous post, I have become a bit obsessed about the subject. Not that I'm any good, or fast, or have a large amount of endurance, but I have been consistently running since June.

I was athletic as a child and a teenager, playing soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and running track. I played soccer from the age of 8, and played every single season until I was 17. When I was 14 I discovered lacrosse, and it was pure fun. Thank God for sports because I'm sure I would have never graduated from high school! (Thanks Mom and Dad for encouraging me!) My finest running moment was when I was 13 or 14 and I ran the Clyde's 10K and got 3rd place in my age group. I went to college and became very lazy, which was easy to do.

I walked during my first pregnancy (thanks Mom, my walking partner and coach!) and after I had baby #2 joined a gym and consistently went using the treadmill and running up to 5 miles. I really loved it. Fast forward to Baby #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7! No exercise (minimal walking, and geocaching, but nothing consistent). After Baby #7 we got a treadmill, put it in the garage, and I started C25K from Week 1 Day 1. I did well, really well, but kept at it slowly. I graduated with a pretty beat up ankle, but I did it! Being able to post my progress on facebook was key for me, I really needed the feedback of people telling me I was doing great (I know, needy right???) BUT it kept me going. I took a week off of running, walked for a week, and started building up my endurance to start B210K. Week 1 Day 1 of B210K has you running 10 minutes, walk 1 minute 4x and I had to be ready. I eased my way through this 6 week program, sometimes only running 1 or 2 times/week (with the programs you are supposed to run every other day). I graduated from B210K able to run 6.2 miles for 60 minutes straight.

Now I am on week 2 of half marathon training. This program has me starting from the bottom, running for small amounts of time (15-20 minutes) and it has me running 6 days/week. So far, so good. This week I've run 16 miles! I've discovered Daily Mile (like facebook for runners) where you can keep track of your miles, and there are tons of awesome mom runners/bloggers who are very inspiring. I guess I should mention my shoes. Before Baby #7 I wanted to start running so I got a nice pair of shoes, wore them once or twice, and they got shelved while pregnant. Those shoes are the same ones I am running with today, I think they are Mizuno Waves. Of course they are pink.

Ryan is on week 4 of C25K and is doing so great. I am so proud of him!!! We are running our first race, the Superbowl 5K, this Sunday 2/6! Next week I will post how we did. Do me a favor: If you know us IRL, please encourage us, especially Ryan, when you see him. It makes a difference!!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same,visit SouleMama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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This Week's Small Change

This week, the Simplicity Parenting blog asks,

"What has fallen by the way-side due to a new transition?"

Or in other words, getting back on track! This is perfect for me this week. I really need to dust off my daily docket, because I've been off my schedule the past couple of days. Monday was a great day with a friend, and her 3 boys. Tuesday was Seany's swim lessons, and Rayzor's carpool to pick up. Add on to that Benny being his typical 2 year old self, Baby MC getting a little cold, and some things that were weighing heavy on my mind. On a good note, I am becoming a little obsessed about running, and Ryan and I might be posting more thoughts on our journey as beginner runners as well as trying to accomplish our goals. (By the way, Ryan and I joined Daily Mile, so feel free to click on the link to the right to "friend" us on there!)

It's only Wednesday, so let's get back on track together!

Multitude Monday

(photo taken by me 4/10)

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives-the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections-that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for.

Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God."~~ Henri Nouwen

Today I am joining in with Ann over at A Holy Experience and hundreds of others who are also on their own 1000 Gift Lists journey. Care to join me? These are in no particular order...

131. Quiet house at day's end... 132. Teen who let's 3 year old brother sleep with him... 133. Sleep sighs from the baby... 134. Darkness... 135. Icy roads that keep us home... 136. Fans and white noise... 137. A (finally) tuckered out 2 year old... 138. A Rosary said before bed... 139. Heavy lids... 140. Reading before sleep... 141. The way 3 year old says she's instead of her... 142. Comforting the crier/screamer... 143. The way 2 year old and 9 month old interact... 144. Boys love of cousin B... 145. My relationship with Aunt M...more than just an aunt...more like sister and friend rolled into one...time spent with her is a gift... 146. Hot soup ready when he walks in the door... 147. Watching teen and 2 year old playing outside... 148. Teen boy who does diapers... 149. Needed rest for 7 year old... 150. Letting brothers, age 5 and 3, duke it out...don't worry...the 3 year old holds his own...151. So blessed to be able to fall in love 8 times... 152. So blessed to have easy pregnancies... 153. So blessed to have easy births... 154. So blessed to have big healthy babies... 155. So blessed to have wide hips!... 156. So blessed to have an easy going temperament... 157. Ryan and I will be running a 5K on Superbowl Sunday... 158. Ryan is open to Life... 159. I'm a runner... 160. I was open to Life 14 years ago...

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same,visit SouleMama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

*** *** ***

This Week's Small Change

This week the Simplicity Parenting blog encourages us to take 20 minutes for what they call an "A-Ha moment" to watch a video by Brene Brown, PH.D. Dr. Brown's talk is on The Power of Vulnerability and the folks at Simplicity Parenting boast that I will not be disappointed. So last night I grabbed a pen and paper after the kids went to bed to watch Dr. Brown's talk hoping to not be disappointed. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Nothing against Dr. Brown, she is a wonderful speaker and an amusing, super intelligent researcher/story teller. The first 10 minutes explains her background on how she is a social worker and often saw vulnerable people in her profession, so she decided to do research on vulnerability. She did years of research and came to the conclusion that there are 2 kinds of vulnerability. People who are vulnerable and are filled with shame, and people who are vulnerable and are filled with love and joy. So then she wanted to know what makes these 2 kinds of people different?

The meat of her talk is in the last minute. She has a powerpoint and says "Let ourselves be seen, Love with your whole hearts, Practice gratitude and joy, We are enough, and Be kinder and gentler to ourselves."

The first thing that came to mind was that some of these are things that Jesus has said. In the Bible. I was taught these ideas in elementary school.

I feel that this video is good for people who don't have religion or spirituality in their lives, because it could probably feel good for them. But, if you want to hear this kind of message on a weekly, or even daily basis? Well, we're waiting for you with open arms.

ETA: Why not take it a step further? How about, Be kinder and gentler to our neighbor? Or, Love your neighbor as yourself?

Small Steps {together}

I finally took down the last of the Christmas decor yesterday. The antique Nativity that my mom got for me, the Merry Christmas blocks passed down from my mother-in-law, and the Advent calendar Aunt D made for us last year.

My poor mantel. It looked like how January feels sometimes. Maybe a little empty...where's the Joy? I took The Nester's advice and started to "shop the house for anything white you could use ~...".

I thought about the "theme" for January in Small Steps for Catholic Moms...Joy.

Joy is so easy to come by sometimes. When husband gets hard-earned kudos at work...

sharing ice cream with the teen...

tickling the baby's feet during a diaper change...

finishing the long run...

on payday...

But how to force Joy? In the moments when you are so down, not even the baby's smile cheers you, and the tears come, and you think how? How do I pick myself up, go downstairs, and be the Joy-ful mother?

God, give the grace to count my blessings instead of my crosses, my gains instead of my losses. Make me a joyful servant in all that I think and do and say today. (prayer from Small Steps for Catholic Moms)

Grab journal, scramble for pencil, continue listing...Gratitude.

There is magic in the listing. Heart swells...and...the JOY returns.

Joyfully joining in with Elizabeth...

One Thousand Gifts

Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, "Prove that you are a good person." Another voice says, "You'd better be ashamed of yourself." There also is a voice that says, "Nobody really cares about you," and one that says, "Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful." But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, "You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you." That's the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen.

That's what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us "my Beloved." ~ Henri Nouwen

Today I am joining in with Ann over at A Holy Experience and hundreds of others who are on their own 1000 Gift Lists journey. Care to join me? These are in no particular order...

121. An extended week-end... 122. Chicken soup made with love by husband... 123. Toy Story... 124. Kids that sleep all night... 125. Old friends... 126. Husband and I growing old together... 127. Girls day at the mall with Geema... 128. Finally reading The 5 Love Languages... 129. New friends... 130. Experiences in life that keep me humble...

This Week's Small Change

I am joining in with the Simplicity Parenting blog's weekly small changes (or challenges as I like to see them). I think I would give myself a B so far! The first small change was to pick one of the simplicity parenting's 4 layers (environment, rhythm, scheduling, and filtering) and to tackle it right now to bring more ease, comfort, or connection for your family. I decided to focus on rhythm and scheduling by getting up early before the kids wake up to exercise, shower, pray, and make breakfast. This is such a big challenge and I am still working on it. I can usually only manage to do this twice a week, so this is definitely a work in progress.

The second small change was to focus on your words. Before you speak, ask yourself "Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?" To my surprise, we have all been incorporating this change into our daily habits. Even the kids will call Ryan and I out if we are not using our kind words. B-Rad will often say "Kind words are the music of the world!" And I am sure to let the kids know when they are not using kind words, as this usually occurs when they are speaking amongst themselves. I am very happy about this small change.

The third small change was to focus on any kind of extra preparation I can take to keep my daily life more organized and calm. I am happy to say that I am planning and cooking more dinners, and my overall day is more organized thanks to my daily docket that I mentioned in that post.

So...this week's small change is to commit to telling your children a story from your childhood. Simplicity Parenting cites Steve Barancik's blog Best Children's Books, particularly this article about the Importance of Storytelling.

Steve writes:

Your child needs stories. Here are just a few of the many reasons why:

1. Stories help children understand their place in the world.

2. A story can help your child cope with a difficult experience or situation.

3. Learning to tell stories helps your child become socially proficient.

4. Storytelling can be the perfect way to impart a life lesson.

5. It has been shown that telling stories about your own childhood is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the child-parent bond.

I remember as a child my dad sharing his adventures as being the oldest son of 8 children. I'm sure that is part of what has shaped my life today! I also enjoy when I get a glimpse of my husband's childhood, either by him or by his family. I think "Oh, that's where (insert child's name here) got that from!!" I am going to try to work on telling more stories from my childhood this week. I know my kids are always engaged when I've shared bits and pieces of my childhood in the past.

Multitude Monday

"Christ is risen and life is freed, Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead: for Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who had fallen asleep." ~~ St. John Chrysostom (from today's Think from Small Steps for Catholic Moms)

Today I am joining in with Ann over at A Holy Experience (a day late!) and hundreds of others who are also on their own 1000 Gift Lists journey. Care to join me? These are in no particular order...

111. Today is 1/11/11... 112. working on my "cancer" (Father D challenged us to pick one thing to work on throughout the new year. He told us to ask our husbands what that 1 thing should be. Dangerous. But good.)... 113. my daily docket. I didn't realize how handy this would be... 114. realizing when to just stay home... 115. running for 1 hour straight... 116. Being with just my girls on Saturday... 117. my oldest son, who steps up when needed and makes me so proud... 118. Seany trying new things, and I am so proud of him, too... 119. Sprout... 120. Joy in winter...

This Week's Small Change

(photo taken on B-Rad's 7th Birthday)

So far, thanks to the Simplicity Parenting blog, I am really trying to get up early (Monday - successful, Tuesday - sickness, Wednesday - crying child), and I am also really trying to encourage my kids to speak kinder, truer, and only if it is necessary. I am also really trying to speak kinder myself, although it is definitely harder than I thought. I really have to continue with last week's challenge because it is something that is hard to do once you are in the moment of a spill or a 2 year old meltdown!

For this week's small change (although, for me personally, so far these are really big changes), Simplicity Parenting explains:

We know that part of creating predictability requires us to be organized and prepared for the onslaught of tasks of work and school. Creating rhythm for cleaning, meals, morning and bedtime routines...these are the rhythms, the heart beats of our days. For the next 1/2 of the year to go smoothly take this opportunity to plan ahead!

For this week's small change: What needs your extra preparation this week in order to help and support you in keeping your daily life more organized and calm?

Many things come to mind for me when I read this small change.

1) I have come to realize I am calmer and happier when I start the day off early and running so I need to plan accordingly.

2) I am also calmer if I start my day off with Mass/prayer. I usually try to plan to go to Mass 4-5 days/week.

3) Planning dinners for the week! This is crucial for our large family of 9. This is a job for both parents before Monday rolls around. I also need to plan breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the week. So far this week, I have today planned.

4) Posting these Word Strengtheners around my home to help me stay calmer.

5)This daily docket that Tsh designed at Simple Mom looks interesting. Maybe I'll try it out to keep me on the track to being organized.

6) I love this small change that Mary Ellen posted on her blog Tales from the Bonny Blue House. I am thinking this would be a REALLY great thing for these juice junkies around here.

One thing, one day at a time, right?

By the way, Joz made these granola bars this morning that Simplicity Parenting recommended and they are great! We substituted wheat bran (because that is what we had in our pantry) for the wheat germ, and didn't use the raisins because Joz doesn't like them.

One Thousand Gifts

God, help me to always hear your glad voice in the laughter of the ones I love. (from today's Pray from Small Steps for Catholic Moms)

Today I am joining in with Ann over at A Holy Experience (a day late!) and hundreds of others who are on their own 1000 Gift Lists journey. Care to join me? These are in no particular order...

101. Ann Voskamp... 102. the most wonderful husband who did not get angry when he got woken up from a dead sleep last night to Ev throwing up on him and all over his side of the bed and then comes home from work today and throws together a lovely dinner for 9, he is the most amazing person I know... 103. my friend L... 104. Father D... 105. clean sheets and comforter... 106. a clean tablecloth for dinner... 107. nearing my goal of running a 10K... 108. C... 109. the start of a New Year... 110. making a REAL resolution/goal for the first time: losing 30 pounds and running a half marathon...is it possible?...